The Fordson Tractor Pages Forum

My 53 FMD now back from the engineer's and in not bad order with the brakes and charging circuit now operational, and a report that not much needs doing apart from a new head gasket needed at some time in the future.

So. I thought I would have a go at fixing the horn, (An original Clear Hooters item) which was making a sort of scratching noise rather than honking. I got the horn off, and got it going fine on the bench when powered up from a spare 12V battery through the two terminals.

Put it back on the tractor and nothing, despite repeating the process twice and trying another (identical) horn.

I am not good with electric string and the lumpy bits they power, so before I set fire to something I thought I would ask here. I assume the failure is something to do with working it through the positive earth system on the tractor, but more than that I am baffled by. Any ideas?

It could be that the horn button is bad. The power travels from a hot wire up near the dash to the horn button, and then to one lug on the horn, The other lug on the horn needs to be grounded, or hooked to the earth side of tractor. Even hooking it a bolt in the horn brackett will do. When the Button is Pushed then the circut will be complete and the Clear Hooters should blow the skirts up on the Lasseys, and put a little daylight between their feet and the ground. Hopefully they will run toward you instead of away from you. Dandy Dave!

The live wire to the Horn Switch/button is Yellow with Green tracer. [The other end of it is usually connected to the generator/dynamo warning light -- but can be found connected to the ignition switch].
From the horn switch to the Horn the colour is Blue with Yellow.
The earth wire from the horn [if original] is White with Black.

Pavel